Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds: Precision On Demand In Red Gold And Platinum

The new DSTB Stop-Seconds combines Arnold & Son’s signature true-seconds complication with a stop-seconds mechanism, presented in two limited editions in red gold and platinum.

Arnold & Son expands its chronometry collection with the DSTB Stop-Seconds, a new interpretation of its Dial-Side True Beat concept. Available in 18-carat 5N red gold with a Cliff Grey dial or 950 platinum with a Kingsand dial, both versions combine traditional watchmaking with a mechanism designed to make precise time-setting easier.

Each edition is limited to 18 pieces, with the dial-side true-seconds complication remaining the visual centrepiece. The new stop-seconds function adds another layer of functionality, allowing the wearer to halt the seconds hand and synchronise the watch to an exact reference time.

A New Level Of Precision

The DSTB collection takes its name from Dial-Side True Beat, referring to the deadbeat-seconds complication displayed on the dial. Unlike a conventional central seconds hand that moves continuously, the true-seconds hand advances in distinct one-second jumps.

This mechanism draws inspiration from the precision instruments supplied by John Arnold to the Royal Navy. During his time, marine chronometers played an essential role in navigation, helping sailors determine longitude by comparing local time with a reliable reference time.

Arnold & Son brings this historical connection to the wrist by exposing the true-seconds mechanism on the dial. Gold bridges and a release mechanism ending in a blued-steel marine anchor create a distinctive display, with the long seconds hand advancing sharply from one marker to the next.

The DSTB Stop-Seconds builds on this established complication by adding a dedicated mechanism that stops the seconds hand when the winding crown is pulled out. When the crown is pushed back in, the mechanism restarts the seconds display, making it possible to synchronise the watch more precisely.

The History Behind Stop-Seconds

Marine chronometers were essential navigational instruments during the age of ocean exploration. Accurate timekeeping was directly connected to determining a ship’s longitude, and even a small timing error could translate into a significant positional deviation.

Historically, navigators often set their chronometers ahead of time and waited for a precise signal from Greenwich before starting them. Once running, the chronometer would continue uninterrupted throughout the voyage. Sailors monitored its daily rate, recording how many seconds it gained or lost, rather than repeatedly stopping the reference instrument to correct the time.

The new DSTB Stop-Seconds pays tribute to this tradition. Its additional stop-seconds function allows the wearer to halt the seconds hand while setting the time, bringing a practical element of marine chronometry into a contemporary wristwatch.

An Intricate Mechanism Behind A Simple Operation

Although the function is straightforward to use, integrating it into a true-seconds movement presented a technical challenge. The deadbeat-seconds mechanism remains under tension as it stores and releases energy with every passing second. Stopping it therefore required a dedicated stop lever capable of allowing the mechanism to restart instantly when the crown is returned to its normal position.

This additional mechanism is not visible from either the dial side or through the transparent case back. Its complexity is concealed within the movement, while the wearer experiences the benefit through a seconds display that can be synchronised with greater precision.

Powering the watch is the in-house A&S6303 automatic calibre, developed, machined, assembled and regulated at Arnold & Son’s manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It provides hours, minutes and true seconds, together with a 55-hour power reserve.

The movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4Hz, and incorporates a Swiss lever escapement. Its finishing includes a circular-grained main plate, bridges decorated with radial Côtes de Genève and hand-chamfered and polished edges. Blued screws and a 22-carat gold oscillating weight complete the traditional finishing.

The oscillating weight is openworked, decorated with guilloché and marked with John Arnold’s anchor emblem. Through the sapphire case back, these details offer a view of the movement’s construction and finishing.

Two Materials, Two Dial Colours

Arnold & Son presents the DSTB Stop-Seconds in two distinct combinations of precious materials and dial colours.

The 18-carat 5N red gold version features a finely grained dial treated in Cliff Grey PVD. The colour references the cliffs of Cornwall, John Arnold’s native region in south-west England. A warm grey hand-stitched alligator leather strap completes the design, secured by a red gold pin buckle.

The 950 platinum edition uses a Kingsand PVD-treated dial. Its tone draws inspiration from the brass main plates used in John Arnold’s historical movements, which were gilded to help protect them against oxidation. An ink-blue hand-stitched alligator leather strap provides contrast, while a platinum pin buckle matches the case.

Both dials feature concave white opal hour sub-dials with Roman numerals, framed by rings in the corresponding case material. Their raised profile recalls the white enamel dials found on John Arnold’s historical timepieces.

The cases measure 42mm in diameter and 12.95mm thick. A domed sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating protects the dial, while the sapphire case back also has an anti-reflective coating. Water resistance is rated at 3 bar, equivalent to 30 metres.

Limited To 18 Pieces Per Edition

The Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds is offered in two limited editions of 18 pieces each. The red gold reference is 1ATCR.N01A.C0246A, while the platinum version is reference 1ATCX.H01A.C0263X.

Swiss retail prices, including VAT and subject to change, are CHF 46,000 for the red gold edition and CHF 56,800 for the platinum version.

By combining the visible true-seconds complication with a concealed stop-seconds mechanism, Arnold & Son gives the DSTB collection a more practical expression of its chronometric heritage. The result is a watch that connects the demands of historical marine navigation with the mechanical sophistication and precious materials of contemporary haute horlogerie.

Technical Specifications

For more information, please visit the official Arnold & Son website.

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